Girls’ Generation’s Tiffany Young spoke to Billboard about how she felt about BTS’ historic success of topping the Billboard 200 with Love Yourself: Tear and offered some advice to the group.
“There’s a sense of pride,” Young says about BTS’ success, talking with Chelsea Briggs on the set of her music video for upcoming single “Over My Skin.” “I feel like a proud sibling because I remember, like, introducing one of their earlier songs when they were debuting. So congratulations, and I’m excited to see what’s ahead for them as well, and the rest of K-pop.”
Young also shares how she’s good friends with BTS’ V, and how she sent him a congratulatory message after seeing all the interviews and videos featuring the group. “I just had to congratulate him and say, ‘Congratulations, I hope you and your bandmates are having a blast. It’s so good to see this all happening for you.’”
Regarding her experience as a popular K-pop star, Young gives some advice to the younger group. “Your bandmate is the only person who will understand the process, and whether it’s now or three years or five years or — because I’ve known my bandmates 13, 14 years — 14 years later, they are still gonna be that safe space where you feel understood. I hope you guys cherish that and embrace that, even starting now. I know they are.”
Girls’ Generation was formed in 2007 and blew up in 2009 with the success of their hit “Gee.” Since then, they’ve become recognized as one of South Korea’s most emblematic girl groups, producing hit after hit and performing across the globe. The main team saw one album, Mr. Mr., chart on the Billboard 200 at No. 110 in 2014, while the TTS subunit, which Young was one-third of, saw its first EP Twinkle peak at No. 126 on that chart in 2012.
Young is releasing her first original English single “Over My Skin” on Thursday.
You can watch the full video above.